"Above us?"
Jiraiya and the others looked up.
But they saw nothing except drifting clouds.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Invisibility?"
Jiraiya said, "No wonder even the Byakugan missed them."
Genma said, "They must have passed overhead at high altitude. The Byakugan couldn't see that far."
"But they aren't invisible. They're just hiding behind the clouds."
The people high above had clearly realized they'd been spotted. Several dark specks soon emerged from behind the clouds: the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and his guards.
"I'll go meet him!"
Genma chuckled and formed hand seals, giving himself a pair of wings.
Jiraiya hurriedly said, "Take us with you!"
Genma looked helpless. "You and Sakumo haven't fully learned to fly yet. I doubt you could use this form of mine."
Tsunade frowned. "You're planning to face them alone?"
Hatake Sakumo advised, "There's no need to put yourself at a disadvantage."
"We're still defending. If the Third Tsuchikage wants to attack, let him come down."
Genma nodded. "I understand, Sakumo. But we know too little about the Third Tsuchikage. I need to test him and gather some information."
"Don't worry. If things get dangerous, I can use the Summoning Technique to return to the ground."
With that, his wings beat. The air boomed, and he shot skyward.
Tsunade and the others shielded their faces and squinted as Genma soared into the sky like a hawk.
"That reckless idiot!"
Tsunade huffed, then turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, what did he mean just now?"
"You and Sakumo have been learning to fly?"
Jiraiya said helplessly, "We use the Transformation Technique to become birds and learn to fly that way. It lets us grasp how birds fly."
"It works, but we don't have much fighting ability in the air as birds."
"And with just a pair of wings—"
Jiraiya spread his